Interview conducted by Thaddeus Vale
Andrew Park, our Marketing Director for the 2017 edition of Yours Truly, shares his enthusiasm for marketing Cascadia’s creative arts magazine and promoting courageous creativity in all forms. Andrew is excited to share Yours Truly with our community at our launch event on June 5th!
Photo credit: Thaddeus Vale
Q: Why did you apply for the Marketing Director position this year?
A: In the Fall Quarter when I took Humanities 210 and learned about Yours Truly, I was on the campus marketing team and the goal was getting people to submit to our publication. After setting a record of 307 submissions, it gave me a feeling that the marketing was a success, and then I could bring all the takeaways from that into the job as the Marketing Director for the launch event and the magazine.
Q: What do you do in your role as Marketing Director?
A: First of all, one thing I do is lead my team in introducing the launch event and our magazine to the campus. Marketing means promotion, so we are promoting this year’s edition of Yours Truly at the launch event so people can learn more about the publication we have to offer.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge for your team this quarter?
A: Out of all the challenges I’ve seen, the biggest problem is knowing how to promote the launch event effectively. We have to know how we are going to bring our student body, former students, and faculty to the main event and create full interest in our magazine.
Q: How will you lead your team to handle it?
A: One of the most important steps is taking into account of everyone’s input seriously and identifying how we introduce our launch event to our campus. We will work with as many ideas as we receive and figure out what’s best for us as the marketing team, as well as the community we’re trying to reach out to. When we get the word out, we have to stay true to the values, image, identity, and expectations of Cascadia and our Yours Truly magazine.
Q: What do you wish to see at the launch event?
A: I would like to see a packed crowd of individuals who really wish to learn how to express their creativity with courage. I want them to create a successful piece to submit for future publications, too (our next submission period is Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, BTW!). I hope we attract people who are unfamiliar with Yours Truly who wish to learn about creativity at Cascadia.
Q: What do you want to notice the first moment you open up the magazine?
A: I wish to see high quality works with a clear meaning in the publication. I hope that the pieces have high emotional meaning and are significant to people who view the publication. I want our whole community to be proud of this year’s issue.
Q: If the budget were unlimited, what would you do?
A: Honestly, I think it’s a good thing the budget is not unlimited. If the budget were unlimited, people would have the tendency to randomly and mindlessly try out ideas inconsistent with the quality and the aesthetics we truly want in the magazine. A limited budget challenges people to be mindful of the emotional appeal and the visual qualities we really want in our Yours Truly Magazine.
Q: What is the key to success in your position?
A: Being an active listener and a communicator is a serious matter since this is a teamwork-oriented task. I have to communicate well with others on my team to get the word out about our launch event, so our community can get to know our publication.
Q: If a future member of your role wanted to ask for advice, what would you tell them?
A: The first step of marketing purpose is know what you want to achieve. It’s important to know how we want to introduce the magazine to our community so they’re interested in learning about the creative side we have to offer. It’s also important to be a true team player and be able to work with anyone with comfort and an open mind.
Q: What theme does this year’s publication reflect from your point of view?
A: Based on all the selections we’ve made a quarter ago, I’ve noticed a diverse range of subject matter. Each piece has its own unique qualities and strengths we can appreciate and be proud of.
Q: How do you feel Yours Truly contributes to our Cascadia community?
A: It encourages our community to be creative, be brave, and take risks to allow their imaginations to flourish. Any creative idea can be good in its own unique way if you know how to express your creative imagination with courage.
Learn more about Yours Truly by connecting with us on social media!
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RSVP to our Launch Event on June 5, 2:00-6:00pm HERE!
Integrate It! 